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Iranian President: Our military power is purely defensive.

Rouhani claims its military power “purely defensive”; Criticizes US sanctions following missile testing; US considering proposal to label Iranian Revolutionary Guard as terrorist organization

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani claimed that Iran’s military is “purely defensive” and that the nuclear agreement not only benefits the international community, but serves as an example for stability and security in the Middle East.

Rouhani made the remarks during a televised speech Thursday where he addressed Iran’s diplomatic standing internationally and the recent Trump Administration sanctions on the Islamic Republic after it tested ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Rouhani stated that “The new US president reads the text of the nuclear deal but cannot accept it. He says this is the worst deal in history,” referring to Trump’s recent remarks that the nuclear deal made with world powers was “the worst deal I’ve ever seen negotiated,” and that it is “a shame that we’ve had a deal like that and that we had to sign a deal like that and there was no reason to do it and if you’re going to do it, have a good deal.”

Rouhani claimed that Iran’s “military power is purely defensive” and that “The Islamic Republic of Iran has showed that it doesn’t intend to interfere with the internal affairs of other countries,” in response to international condemnation, mainly from Israel and the United States, of Iran’s missile testing.

The Iranian President went as far as to claim the nuclear deal made between Iran and world powers as an “example for other talks”, stating the nuclear dear is “a win-win agreement” and that “everyone benefits from it… The nuclear negotiations can be used as an example for other talks to bring stability and security to the region.”

Last week Iran tested ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, violating not only the United Nations Security Council ban, but also the nuclear agreement made with world powers and under the Obama Administration.

The Trump Administration responded by imposing new sanctions on Iran targeting 13 people and 12 companies and entities procuring and providing Iran with ballistic missile technologies and equipment. The sanctions deny these entities of doing business with American citizens or in the United States.

And on Thursday, reports surfaced that the United States is considering a proposal to label Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. In 2007, the United States Treasury blacklisted the elite forces of the IRGC, the Quds Force, for its direct support of terrorist organizations in the Middle East.